This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/7534949.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| WWI grave troops to be re-buried | WWI grave troops to be re-buried |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The remains of British and Australian troops killed in WWI are to be taken from a French mass grave and re-buried in individual plots at a new cemetery. | |
| The bodies of up to 400 soldiers found at the grave in north-east France in May will be re-buried as close as possible to the where they were found. | |
| The men will be given full military honours to commemorate their bravery. | The men will be given full military honours to commemorate their bravery. |
| They died in the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916, thought to be one of the bloodiest for Australian troops in WWI. | They died in the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916, thought to be one of the bloodiest for Australian troops in WWI. |
| It took place over 19 and 20 July 1916 - 5,533 Australian soldiers and 1,547 British soldiers were killed. | It took place over 19 and 20 July 1916 - 5,533 Australian soldiers and 1,547 British soldiers were killed. |
| 'Ultimate sacrifice' | 'Ultimate sacrifice' |
| It had been intended to divert German troops from the Battle of the Somme which was raging 50 miles to the south. | It had been intended to divert German troops from the Battle of the Somme which was raging 50 miles to the south. |
| Poor planning meant the mission failed and it soured relations between many Australians and their British commanders. | Poor planning meant the mission failed and it soured relations between many Australians and their British commanders. |
| Veterans Minister Derek Twigg said: "It is right and proper that those brave men who lost their lives at Fromelles are buried with the honour and dignity befitting their ultimate sacrifice. | Veterans Minister Derek Twigg said: "It is right and proper that those brave men who lost their lives at Fromelles are buried with the honour and dignity befitting their ultimate sacrifice. |
| "The new cemetery will be a lasting tribute to their bravery and a place of pilgrimage for families who lost a relative in the battle. It will ensure the memory of their actions lives on for future generations." | "The new cemetery will be a lasting tribute to their bravery and a place of pilgrimage for families who lost a relative in the battle. It will ensure the memory of their actions lives on for future generations." |
| The mass grave by Pheasant Wood on the edge of Fromelles was discovered by an amateur Australian historian and later confirmed by a team of archaeologists from Glasgow University on behalf of the Australian Government. | The mass grave by Pheasant Wood on the edge of Fromelles was discovered by an amateur Australian historian and later confirmed by a team of archaeologists from Glasgow University on behalf of the Australian Government. |
| The exhumation and re-interment will be carried out under the auspices of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. | |
| A timing for recovering the remains is expected to be announced later in the year. |